A Flower For You
by leafgreenflower
Summary: Five flowers given and received, meanings as in Chinese tradition, with one somewhat thorny interlude. COMPLETE (with a bonus at the end).
1. Orchid

_In Chinese tradition, the orchid is a symbol of spring. It means nobility, integrity and friendship. It can represent a cultured gentleman and scholar._

The school's winter dance was coming up in a few weeks, and people were beginning to think about who they'd go with. If they went with anybody at all, that is – most people in Marinette's year were just going in groups of friends. Going to the dance with somebody, like _with_ with, was rather a big deal. Marinette didn't really think she was ready for that yet. A girl could dream, yes, and she did - but honestly? She was happy for those dreams to stay dreams. It'd be so much pressure to turn up with someone. Everyone would talk about it. The sixteen and seventeen-year-olds going to the senior dance made a big deal out of dates and the magic of the one night, but the teachers encouraged the students going to the lower school dance to not take it so seriously. And usually, they didn't.

Which is why it was such a surprise when Adrien came running up to her and Alya at lunchtime, panic on his face, saying "Please say you're going to the dance with me!"

The two girls looked at each other, one with mouth dropping open, the other not sure who exactly he was talking to. Then they saw Chloe coming up fast behind, calling out to "her Adrien", and Nino attempting to catch up with the pair. Or reach Alya first, it wasn't clear which.

Alya put the pieces together far faster than Marinette did, grabbed Adrien's arm and pulled him behind Marinette, sticking his hand in her friend's and closing their grip tight. Then she called out "Nino, over here!", and started running towards him. Adrien let out a panicked whimper and started to follow, but on pure instinct Marinette held him tight and he subsided. As Alya passed Chloe she "accidentally" tripped her, sending the blonde sprawling. Alya stopped to help her up out of the dust, apologising, which gave Nino an extra few moments to catch up to them. The three tangled in apologies and accusations, all the while approaching Marinette and Adrien who still stood fast together under the tree.

Marinette's brain wasn't quite working – she was holding _Adrien's_ hand – but her instinctive response was to protect. She fixed her feet into a balanced stance and fixed the others with a strong stare, ready for what came. Adrien wasn't sure why Alya had put him behind the tiniest person of their little group, but... he couldn't deny that he suddenly felt safe, for no good reason.

There was some trash talking that followed, and a fair bit of attitude from more than one of the five. But by the end of it, Chloe had left, tossing her hair. Adrien felt sad for the look he recognised in her eyes as she turned away – the long loneliness that they both understood all too well – but he couldn't fix it for her, either. Going to the dance with her was too much of a statement when people just didn't go to the dance with each other. He knew to avoid public statements. It was a lot safer to go with a group of friends. Adrien felt relieved, glad and... another emotion he couldn't name... that he now had such a group of friends to go with. Nino put a hand on his shoulder, and Alya stepped up against Nino's side. "We've got your back, dude", Nino said.

The thing that made Adrien's heart swell almost to breaking? It would have been Nino's words – but his senses demanded he notice the small girl in front of him. She hadn't said a word to him this entire time, as usual – she almost never spoke to him when the four of them were together – but she still stood with her body balanced as if she would fly into battle with any threat that came at him, and she still kept a firm grip on his hand.

So when his Mandarin tutor wandered off into one of their frequent discussions of Chinese cultural traditions, with all the metaphors and proverbs that make a four-thousand-year-old language so intricate, Adrien asked about flowers and their meanings. And he took careful notes. He liked the meaning for a gift of orchids – a sign of friendship. It was still winter, and orchids weren't normally in the shops until spring – but that was what his allowance was for, _non_?

On the day of the dance, his driver took him first to Nino's house, then to Alya's, and lastly to Marinette's just by the school. As Marinette got in the car – more for the look of it than anything, seeing as they only had to drive around the corner – she pulled out four little boxes. "I still can't believe you got these for us, Adrien" she said, almost squealing with delight.

"I'm just glad you were able to use them", he replied shyly.

"Girl, show us!" Alya grinned, reaching for a box.

Inside each box was a mini corsage, each with a single orchid flower against a glossy leaf. Nino seemed a bit bemused, but let a happy Alya pin one to his shirt. Adrien lifted one hand, then said to Marinette "Would you mind?". The young designer began to pin his onto his shirt, carefully adjusting it so that it was at just the right angle. "It didn't take me too long to make them, once I worked out how to use the wire without stabbing myself", she said to Alya and Nino, avoiding Adrien's eyes as usual. He sighed. He'd got one sentence out of her. So far that was his personal best. He couldn't explain this new fascination with his classmate – it wasn't love, but rather some kind of _trust_ that went deeper than he could explain, to Plagg's endless and unreasonable amusement. She just didn't seem to reciprocate. He slumped a little more.

"Ow! What was that for?" he yelped.

Marinette glared at him, finger ready to poke him again. "Sit up straight or I'll put this pin in you".

He sat up straight, smiling. Two sentences. Personal BEST.

* * *

 _A/N: This story will have a chapter for each flower given, plus an interlude and possibly an epilogue, so it'll be six or seven chapters long. Much of the meaning and information about the flowers comes from an exhibition at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, called "Flower Power: The Meaning of Flowers in Asian Art". Chinese culture is pretty broad, both geographically and across time, so I don't promise to have the exact same meanings for each flower as anything you find on the Internet or even the most common Chinese meanings. By all means, read up and research for yourself! I'll be updating this story whenever I write a chapter, which will be erratic (sorry!) - I will probably come back to it whenever I'm having trouble getting started on something else I'm supposed to write :-)_


	2. Peony

_A/N: Just a reminder that, like all my stories so far, this one follows canon only to the end of Season 1. I haven't yet seen any of Season 2!_

* * *

 _In Chinese tradition, the peony is a symbol of spring and female beauty. It also implies richness, honor and social class, with a subtext of peace._

The gala was beautiful. Crystal chandeliers poured their magic light over the prettiest people of Paris. The notes of the music that they danced to hung in the night air, simply perfection. Beyond the glittering room high at the top of the skyscraper, the city lights spread out to the horizon, broken only by the Eiffel Tower. People passed in and out of the diamond-organza-draped open doorways, circling from the dance floor and tables inside to the flower garden on the surrounding balcony.

Adrien drifted outside. He was, frankly, bored. And the Swedish consul's daughter was very nice, but there was only so much time you could spend with someone before people talked about it so he'd handed her off to Chloe. Who had been as bored as he was until he introduced the two of them. It was part of a long-standing deal – if either Adrien or Chloe found someone who made the night more interesting, they made sure they shared. Sadly, Lykke had been the only person around their age worth sharing. He found a place on the balcony that was within clear view of the lighted ballroom, so that nobody could claim he was doing anything that he wasn't, and leaned on the rail to watch the night. Behind him he heard the faint sound of his bodyguard settling discreetly into position against the wall, the ever-present chaperone.

People came and went around Adrien as he watched the night. Paris at night was a second home for him, and watching it like this made him restless. Out there people were talking, laughing, dreaming, moving from place to place, an endless fount of tiny stories happening on street corners and living rooms. Real people, with real lives, busy with the sheer act of living. So much happening. And he was here, trapped high above in crystal and glimmering light, forever unable to reach it. At times like this, the gulf between who he was as Chat Noir and who he was as Adrien seemed unleapable.

A tiny flash of red drew his eye to the Eiffel Tower. There she was. His Lady. On patrol alone, as she knew he wasn't free tonight. Often he watched her simply for the beauty of motion, the irresistable charisma and sheer power that had him following wherever she led. Tonight he watched her with envy as she flew and swung to their favourite perch at the top of the Tower. High above him and a neighbourhood away, she stood there against the stars, touching the night in a way he couldn't.

The peonies in the flower box next to him drew his attention. His Mandarin tutor had told him that they implied honor, social class and female beauty. Ladybug's honor was impeccable and unchallengeable. She was the most beautiful girl he knew. And while he knew nothing of her civilian life, surely a superhero automatically counted amongst the highest class of people. Not that that meant much to him. He reached down and picked a peony, double petals ruffled into a close ball, and held it out to the distant speck of red. "For you, my Lady" he murmured in a salute too quiet to reach any other ears.

The flash of red swung down from the tower, and began making its way towards the towers of the central city. He watched her idly as she drew closer, her form becoming clearer as the distance lessened, until she disappeared amongst the skyscrapers. He sighed. Patrol night.

Then his enhanced hearing picked up a familiar sound. A zip, a whirr... his breath hitched. Darnit, she could have this effect on him even as she passed nearby.

Except... that was the sound of two feet landing. Just above him. He turned from the rail, and looked to the roof of the ballroom.

There she stood, looking down at him. "A- adrien? I mean, Adrien Agreste?" she said, startled. He bowed. "None other. I'm flattered you know me. But you seem surprised?" He left the sentence open, part questioning.

She looked below. The balcony was relatively empty where they were, only Adrien and his bodyguard nearby. Nobody had noticed her arrive. She took a step off the roof and dropped to their level, landing in the shadow between the doors with a grace that made his breath catch again. "I'm sorry," she said, "From a distance I saw you standing here with your black suit and I thought for a moment... never mind". She seemed almost embarrassed as she gestured at his tuxedo.

Adrien could fill in the gaps that she left unsaid, though he knew better than to admit it. Still, his heart was leaping up and down cheering. _Yes! See me! My Lady, I'm here! See me!_ The hope he felt _hurt_ , and he pushed it back down again. Right now he was Adrien, and his demeanour must remain perfect. No cracks visible. Instead he said "You were on the Eiffel Tower. You must have excellent eyesight to have seen me from so far away".

"That's why..." she trailed off for a moment. "That's why I thought you were someone else. I could feel you watching me."

 _Oh, I was, My Lady._ He clutched her admission of a connection between them deep into his heart, where he could pull it out and treasure it later. For now though... he closed the distance between them with two swift steps and bowed again, holding out the peony.

"For the most beautiful Lady I know", he said, never taking his eyes off her. Which is how he came to see Ladybug blush more fully than he'd ever seen her blush before.

"Th..th...thank you", she said, stammering slightly as she took the flower. "It's beautiful".

"Adrien!" a familiar voice called out. Ladybug started, half turning. Adrien saw the moment when she recognised the girl calling, and smiled at her double-take.

"Adrien, oh there you are! There's someone inside that I wanted you to meet... oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt". Chloe's manners were far sweeter in these surrounds than her normal classroom style. If you weren't expecting that, she'd seem like a completely different person. And then Adrien got to enjoy watching _Chloe's_ double-take as she stepped far enough from the ballroom's glitter to recognise just who was standing in the shadow. He also caught her swift and perceptive glance that went straight from the flower in Ladybug's hand to Adrien's face. He gave her just a flicker of a sheepish grin. It was all Chloe needed to understand.

"It's delightful to see you here", she smiled at the superheroine. "You'd be welcome inside, but," she added discreetly, "I'm guessing you prefer not to be gushed all over?" Adrien chuckled at the so-familiar expression on Ladybug's face, laced this time with confusion. He knew she hated Chloe's usual gushing. He guessed she didn't know that Chloe had worked it out too.

Ladybug seemed to draw herself together, and then looked gently at the blonde girl. "I was just passing by", she said. "I'd rather not get caught up in a big fuss". Chloe nodded. "I thought that might be the case. I'll leave you two then".

Ladybug stopped her with a quiet "Wait, Chloe". The mayors daughter stopped, part way through turning away, and looked back.

The superheroine held out the peony to her. "In my... in some cultures, the peony means peace." There was a look of deep kindness on Ladybug's face as she offered the flower. "I wish that for you."

Chloe stepped to the edge of the shadow and took the flower. Adrien noted that she was allowing her true emotions to show on her face, and internally applauded. His Lady was unfailingly kind to others, and he loved that in her. It often brought out the best in others. Then she smiled at him, and his heart hammered so hard it felt like it was pushing his whole skin inside out. She tossed her yoyo – and then she was gone.

Chloe let out an audible breath, looking at the flower. Adrien walked over to her. "You gave this to her, didn't you?" she said, quietly.

"I did. But it's all right." And it really was all right. "She gave it to you. You should keep it".

He nodded at his bodyguard as he offered Chloe his arm to walk back inside. She shook her head. "I might stay out here a little longer", she said quietly. "I shouldn't enter on your arm carrying a flower that it looks like you gave me." She was right, of course, and he knew it. But he also knew that she wanted to treasure that moment for just a little longer on her own.

As he reached the door, she called softly after him. "You weren't going to share, were you."

He paused, turned.

"No, I wasn't." He smiled at Chloe. "But I'm glad I did."

She smiled back.

He turned, and stepped back into the glittering light, the floating people. The crystal world that held his body trapped for now. Except for his heart. It remained outside in the spring night, held hostage by all the people of Paris – and one Lady who flew by his side.

* * *

 _A/N: Hey, so you get the next chapter of this quicker than I thought. I am badly procrastinating writing the followup chapters I said I'd write for a couple of my other stories, as well as several other things I'm supposed to be doing RN. Oops :-) As with the first chapter, this is written in a bit of a rush, pushed out of my head to try and get my writing restarted after a week of dry. It'll be rough. If you see points that need editing, please tell me!_


	3. Interlude with Narcissus

_In Greek tradition, Narcissus was so beautiful that he fell in love with his own reflection, which is why we call self-absorbed and self-centred people "narcissists". It's the kind of flower you'd give to a not-so-humble model. However in Chinese tradition, the narcissus is quite different. It means hidden talents and being good at what you do. It's the kind of flower you'd give someone for their new job, or study course, or who wanted a promotion. It also has another meaning..._

Plagg stared at the flower.

He stared at it some more.

Finally, he said "I suppose you think this is funny."

His kitten merely threw himself back onto his bed, giggling. Giggling.

Honestly, if the kid wasn't so good at giving him his favourite cheese... Plagg sighed, and retreated to one of his favourite hideouts.

There was another piece of narcissus in there.

"Honestly kid. It's like you actually want me to leave."

At that, Adrien sat bolt upright. "Plagg, no!"

Plagg just grinned at him, and the boy realised he'd been had. And snorted. "I fell for it right back, didn't I?" Adrien said.

"Well, if you insist on filling your room with a flower meant to find and push out evil spirits you deserve what you get. And I deserve cheese." A minute later, he said around a full mouth, "Besi*ghh*. I *mmph* though' you knew be'er." He swallowed. "I'm not evil."

"True. You're really chaotic neutral."

"Say what now?" Plagg didn't always understand his modern-day kitten's references. As the boy rummaged on his bookshelf and pulled out a book labelled "Dungeon Master's Guide", he wondered if he was going to regret hearing the explanation.

* * *

Later that night when his kitten was fast asleep, Plagg carefully pulled off one narcissus flower and hid it in his mouth. He phased through the wall into the next room, staying low, and then into the hallway when the coast seemed clear. Up, along, and through again to a place he'd found once by accident. He pulled out the flower and wiped it off a little. Then he tucked it in next to a sleeping purple kwami, who murmured and snuggled up to it without waking. "Here, old friend", Plagg said sadly. "You need this more than I do."


	4. Plum Blossom

_In Chinese tradition, plum blossom is one of the first flowers of spring, blooming in the cold. Because of this it can mean perseverance and endurance, but it can also mean fragility and transience. Optimism and the coming of warmth, or bitterness and coldness. A beautiful woman, or an unfaithful lover. Under the light of the moon, plum blossom could become so many misunderstandings._

Winter and spring were still at war. An early burst of warmth had brought the almond blossoms out and then a cold snap had dropped them from the trees. The cold lingered unusually long, blackening any petals that had chanced to open, and the remaining flower buds of Paris' gardens stayed closed. In the bitter cold, only the plum blossoms opened unharmed.

Marinette stared at the stars. Not many were visible – the sky had a thin veil of ice crystals across it, lit up brightly in a halo around the full moon. If you squinted just right you could see a hint of rainbow in the edge of the halo, a pale and shadowy hint that just made the sky look colder. The flowers on her balcony were struggling with the cold, like all the other flowers of Paris, and so was she. Her fingers were cramping from trying to finish homework, so she'd climbed up here to stretch out a little before doodling some designs. It hadn't been her smartest idea. Now the rest of her was cramping with cold, not just her fingers.

She turned to climb back inside when she saw a shadow racing across the rooftops. "That cat", she murmured under her breath, lips barely moving. "Irrepressible". It was too cold to be out, but there he was. And... he was changing direction. Had he seen her? She hoped not. Right now, she didn't think she could cope with his braggadocio. Between being late for school, submitting two assignments, an akuma at lunchtime (she'd been so _hungry_ ) and then a surprise test... it had been just that kind of day. She didn't want to deal with anything more. Except maybe some warm milk.

Chat Noir revelled in the emptiness of the rooftops. While he normally craved company, right now the thing that felt best was not having _anyone_ to hound him or organise him or arrange his time and activities for him. He could go as fast as he wanted, in any direction he wanted.

OK, so it was sort of a lie that he didn't want anyone around. He just preferred having nobody at all around to having nobody who actually cared about him around. Which is why, when he caught a glimpse of Marinette on her balcony (had he really run this direction? He hadn't noticed), he steered towards her. He shouldn't hope for conversation – she was _Adrien's_ friend, not his, and barely even that – but treacherously, he did. And that sense of deep-down-trusting her had never gone away. He spied a plum tree in a tiny walled garden below, glowing white under the moon, and vaulted down to the wall beside it. Perhaps give her a flower to break the ice. Plum blossom, for feminine beauty, because if he hadn't fallen for Ladybug first he knew his pretty classmate would have caught his attention soon enough. And plum blossom for perseverance and the coming of spring, because he wasn't giving up on their friendship and he hoped she wouldn't either. He carefully snapped a thin long twig off, white with blossoms softly closed for the night. Then he vaulted and ran across the last few roofs to Marinette's balcony.

Marinette was just lifting the trapdoor to climb back into her room when she heard the soft thump of a landing. Sighing, she turned around. "Yes?" she said shortly.

Chat Noir's ears drooped slightly. Maybe this had been a bad idea. He held out the plum branch and said "This reminded me of you, Princess".

She looked down at the branch and back up at him. And down again.

It was just too much on top of a bad day, and she broke.

"What, because I'm so fragile? Of course you'd think that. Clumsy, unreliable, always late Marinette."

"No, I-"

"It's bad enough that everyone at school thinks that. Even _he_ does. For a moment I thought you might be different, but no. All you see is delicate and helpless. You're so caught up in your own ego you can't see that not every princess needs rescuing."

"No! Marinette, listen!" Chat Noir winced, realising how loud he'd gotten, and dropped his voice again. "I wanted to give this to you because you are beautiful." He held out the branch once again.

With trembling fingers, she slowly reached out and took it, and he began to breathe again. He might be getting through to her.

And then... he saw the look in her eyes.

It was flat, despairing. Like there was nothing left. Nothing, that is, except a single spark that began to grow as he watched. Chat Noir took a step back without thinking. Marinette's hand tightened its grip on the branch, slowly, ever so slowly... and then she looked up at him. Her stare struck him with a fury as hard as hate.

"Unfaithful cat!" she hissed at him. "Letting your petals fall on any woman you think will take them."

He stood struck still as stone as she continued.

"So many people think you have eyes only for your partner. But I know the truth. So does any woman you've talked to for more than a moment. You Just. Can't. Control. Yourself. Can you." The last was delivered word by word, each word a surgical needle striking through his suit. And on the last phrase she actually stuck the branch into him, poking hard. He grabbed at it in reflex, as she let go.

Then she was gone, the trapdoor slamming behind her, leaving him clasping the tip of a branch of plum blossom to his chest as if it was a sword straight through him.

* * *

 _A/N: Phew, that's over with! It turns out that I really don't like writing these guys getting all hatey with each other, even though I know they will from time to time because everyone has sucky days and nobody can read minds. So this chapter was really hard to write! You might notice in this chapter and others that the two of them say and think things about each other that anyone watching the show obsessively (*ahem*wasn't me honest*ahem*) would know aren't strictly true. I figure though that they've got these massive blind spots about both of the other's identities, and they're still pretty young, so they're not going to really "get" each other all that accurately, their own egos are going to get in the way, and they're going to make mistakes._


	5. Interlude with Thorns

_In Chinese tradition, you would avoid giving a flower with thorny stems, because it signifies unhappiness and pain. Yet the China Rose is a deservedly popular flower, beautiful and fragrant, that signifies dauntless spirit._

The first thing Marinette heard was yelling and screams. The second thing was the sound of her partner's boots on the building she was walking past, as he vaulted overhead at speed in the direction of the commotion. She sighed and turned to walk in that direction, murmuring into her purse as she went. "Sorry, Tikki, looks like we're having akuma instead of macarons."

The street was full of people and there was nowhere to hide, so she made her way towards the sound of Hawkmoth's latest victim as Marinette. Hopefully there'd be an alley or subway entrance or flipped car or anything to hide behind soon. She wasn't looking forward to this fight. Or rather, seeing her partner. She'd only seen Chat Noir once since the plum blossom incident, and it had been so very hard to pretend nothing unusual had happened. Thankfully he'd been almost as withdrawn as she had, so when she asked with a pretence of innocence if he was all right, it had been far too easy to pretend she believed him when he said "I'm fine". And then they'd fought a villain that turned walls into mirrors that people fell into, and there'd been no time for conversation. She pulled up her favourite mental image, saved just for moments like these – Adrien offering her a peony against all the night sky – and took a deep breath, trying to focus. Calm, Marinette. Head in the game. She felt Tikki bumping against her with the same subtle message.

The people around her thinned out, and she stepped closer to the wall. Just up ahead there was finally a service lane she could step into. As she turned the corner, Tikki said "Wait! Look!". Marinette put her back to the wall and leaned back around the corner carefully to look down the street.

A lady in shimmers of green walked high on long stem-like legs. Pink ruffles ringed her shoulders and knees. Down her arms and legs were lines of long sharp thorns. She yelled "I AM THORN APART! LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR, I WILL SLICE YOU ASUNDER!". She pointed and raised her hands, and long thorny vines sprouted from the places she pointed to. The vines curled around posts, bollards, poles, growing and spreading, choking the street. Several unfortunate people stood trapped, wrapped with vines, unable to move for the thorns.

"What is it, Tikki?"

"It's... listen carefully, because I won't be able to tell you this once you transform. Your Lucky Charm. You might have a problem."

It only took a second for Marinette to understand. If those vines snagged her hand or the yoyo she'd be unable to call the spell like she usually did.

"You'll have to..." Tikki continued, but Marinette had seen Chat Noir getting smashed against a wall by a rope of thorns, and called "Spots on!" without waiting to hear the rest. She knew she had to try and keep her yoyo clear of the thorns, and there was a cat who needed her.

It was one of the hardest battles she'd fought since the beginning, when neither of them knew what they were doing. Usually they had each other's backs, could communicate with barely a word as if they each knew what the other was thinking. This time it was all wrong. She pulled a vine back before it could get a civilian that hadn't run far enough, but when she let it go Chat Noir was in the way and got hit. Chat Noir swung his baton at a vine, and she had to duck from his backswing. She called "Left" and he went right, he called "Behind!" and she looked behind Thorn Apart instead of behind herself. They were almost as much of a risk to each other as they were the villain. They could see where the akuma was hiding, inside the lone button at the chest of her draped shimmery overshirt, but they didn't seem to be getting any closer to it.

And then Chat Noir misstepped, and a vine caught him against a wall, locking his hands against his side. "Ladyb-mmgh!" She looked across to see him trapped, with a thorny vine across his mouth so that he couldn't speak without slicing his face open.

"I WILL TEAR YOUR PARTNERSHIP APART SO THAT YOU CAN NEVER BE REJOINED!" The voice of Thorn Apart thundered around them.

Ladybug muttered to herself "Sorry, Hawkmoth, I beat you to it".

In her moment of distraction a vine began to wrap itself around her waist, and she realised she had only moments left before she was caught too. There was no time to waste. She started to raise her yoyo – and a thorny vine caught around her hand. She tried to fling the yoyo, concentrating hard, but as she called "Lucky Charm!" the vines tangled through her fingers and the string so that nothing could move.

For a moment, her heart seemed to stop.

Then, from where her fingers wove through the vines, a pink glow began to emerge. It spread outwards along the vines, first slowly and then with increasing speed. Wherever the glow touched, the thorns fell from the vines and roses bloomed in their place. In moments there were no thorns left anywhere. In astonishment she realised that the vines themselves had become her Lucky Charm. Without hesitating, she pulled the vines towards her, pulling them tight across the street so that they tangled and tripped Thorn Apart's legs. The woman toppled and fell onto a pile of roses, and the vines reached out to hold her in place.

Ladybug freed herself from the vine around her waist and walked carefully over to the woman, watching for new thorns. But Thorn Apart was still dizzy from the fall, and Ladybug took the button with ease, snapping it in half and releasing the akuma. She de-evilised it, and only then looked over at her unusually quiet partner.

Chat Noir was still against the wall, held tight by vines. They were no longer thorny, but still so tight that he couldn't move. He stood there, framed by roses, eyes following her, mouth bulging slightly – and she realised that some of the roses had blossomed inside his mouth when they replaced the thorns. Her punful partner was quite literally silenced.

She couldn't help it. She began to laugh. She walked over, still laughing, and looked at him.

Then she looked at him again, laughter fading into a serious look. Their eyes met, and held.

"Chat, would you please do something for me?" she said, hesitantly. "When I take the rose out, I want you to say nothing. Not a word."

She reached out and removed the vine that was gagging him. His eyes never left hers.

And he said nothing.

They stared at each other, tense.

Ladybug broke first. "Better get you out of there kitty", she gabbled, eyes looking anywhere but at him. Grabbing one of the vines, she attempted to throw it into the air, calling "Miraculous Ladybug!" as she did so. The vine she'd lifted floated upwards into the air, dissolving into pink light and a swarm of red and silver ladybugs. The other vines followed, streaming upwards from all over the street into the sky. Chat Noir slumped down against the wall, freed, still watching her. Still silent. Without meeting his eyes, she yelled "Gottagobye bugOUT" and leapt away.

When she detransformed near her house, Tikki flew straight up to her face. "Marinette, what was all that?"

"I was going to ask you, Tikki! I couldn't throw my yoyo and then the vines glowed!"

"That's what I was trying to tell you before", the little kwami said. "As you grow stronger as Ladybug you can force your power of creation through an object to make it the Lucky Charm. It's not good to do it all the time, but when you have no choice it can be very useful." She looked wryly at her Chosen. "That's not what I meant though, Marinette. What was all that with Chat at the end?"

Marinette looked down, blushing.

"This is going to sound really silly, Tikki", she said in embarrassment. "But once he stopped talking, it was like I finally saw _him_. Not the words, not the flirting or bad jokes. But all these other things he is. Like loyalty, persistence. His dauntless spirit. But also shyness and compassion. He really does care, about me and about other people. It was all in his eyes." She sighed, and Tikki smiled at her knowingly.

"You knew that's who he was", she said.

"I did – and I didn't. I thought he was just a silly cat. My good friend, and all those things, but still... and then... uughh."

It was like the words, all his words every time, had been a smokescreen that was now lifted.

"Tikki, I don't know what I think anymore."

There was silence, as Tikki settled into her purse and they began walking home. Tikki waited a moment, then poked her head up just a little.

"I think you might have to think about an apology."

* * *

 _A/N: True story: I once had one of these moments, where you suddenly see all of a person in their eyes and realise there's nothing hiding them from you anymore. And like Ladybug, I ran for my life. 24 hours later I was three and a half thousand kilometres away, and it wasn't far enough so I got in a car and drove another eight hundred kilometres into the backlands where nobody could possibly find me._

 _We had our tenth anniversary last year though, so I guess it worked out OK in the end._


	6. Just a note, sorry!

_Heya. Just a quick A/N because I'm trying to work out why FF doesn't seem to know the story I updated ten hours ago has updated. Posting this as a test to see if it recognises the update._

 _So far we've had: friendship (Adrienette); romance (Ladrien); humour (Plagg); angst (Marichat); and chapter 5 I'll call drama (square) for now though there's an argument for adventure. My intent is that the next chapter is Ladynoir and the one that kicks the hardest, but looking at what I have plotted, I don't think it fits any one of the genres they have listed! We'll see._

 _Now, here's hoping that the update registers this time._


	7. Lotus

_There are so many flowers associated with spring, with beginnings, with first impressions. But one of the most powerful flowers in Chinese floriography is a flower of summer, the lotus. It rises from dirty and muddied waters, unsullied, bright and pure. It is the power of creation personified. It means transcendence._

The dumpster between them was big enough that they could each move around a little, get comfortable without seeing the other. Marinette pulled a cookie out of her bag and gave it to Tikki, while on the other side Adrien found cheese for Plagg.

"Any ideas, Chat?" she said, tiredness leaching through her voice.

"Not yet", he said, sounding equally tired.

They were in a service access bay behind the Musée de l'Orangerie. Master Work, as he was calling himself, seemed to be an artist whose works had been deemed too plebeian for a temporary exhibition being held there. Now he was turning passersby, street objects and anything that struck his fancy into facsimiles of more famous artworks. Which Adrien personally thought was actually pretty clever. The visual puns were _hilarious_ , and one of his old tutors would have raved about finding the transcendent inside the mundane for at least an hour. But, well, consent. And Hawkmoth. And the battle for their Miraculouses. Chat didn't have time to appreciate the art. They had thought the akuma was hiding in a rolled up canvas that Master Work had been carrying. A Lucky Charm to take it from him and a Cataclysm to destroy it – and nothing. So now they were hiding in the first place they could find, feeding their kwamis and trying to regroup.

"We're lucky we haven't been caught yet", she said. "We could already have been another sculpture out there. He almost hit us on the West Terrace."

"I don't know," and the grin was audible in his voice. "We were right next to Rodin's _Le Baiser_ at the time." Marinette was sure she could hear his eyebrows waggling. "Kitty..." she said warningly, and he laughed. "I know, I know," he said. "Focus."

Marinette smiled to herself. Their partnership had gotten better again over the last couple of months. It had been hard for both of them, trying to resolve what exactly was wrong without revealing anything about their civilian identities. Especially with her conversations with Chat as Marinette. She was so very thankful that whoever Chat's civilian identity was didn't know her. Imagine if they'd been having four-way conversations with each other all this time. But now... it was better. They seemed stronger. More at peace with each other, more at ease.

On the other side of the dumpster, Adrien was thinking something similar. Their fighting had been so awkward for a while. He'd had so little confidence after the, um, _incident_ with Marinette. He hadn't been able to look Ladybug in the eyes as Chat. Or Marinette as Adrien, for that matter. He'd held tight to the memory of his chance encounter with Ladybug as Adrien, and that had helped him keep at least some of his focus. He knew she could see him, the real him, even if he couldn't tell her. And lately she'd been looking at Chat in a way that made him think she knew it too. He smiled happily. No longer being invisible to the love of his life made him feel like he could catch the moon.

Now, if only they could catch that darn akuma.

"Maybe Master Work is wearing it", he said.

"If so, we're going to have to get close to him again", she answered.

"Maybe we can pretend to be paintings too?" he laughed. "I'll do Manet's 'Boy Carrying A Sword'". She giggled, and he treasured the sound.

"You might be onto something there, Chaton", she answered. "Better the Impressionists than some of the Picasso portraits. Though I don't fancy wearing a corset and bustle." He heard the crunch of cookies. "I think we need to get him away from his medium though."

"Distract the artist by taking away his canvas?"

"Basically, yeah".

"Doesn't that mean he'll just focus harder on us?"

"Yeah", came the response.

There were a few moments of silence, then Marinette heard an unfamiliar male voice say "I'm good to go". She assumed it was Chat's kwami. Adrien heard a high pitched female voice reply "Me too".

"Any thoughts, Tikki?"

"Just do what you do best, Ladybug" the little red kwami replied with affection.

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

Coloured light shifted around the service bay, and the two superheroes stepped back out into sight, acknowledging each other with their eyes and then creeping up along the wall of the service bay to get a look out. Master Work was still in the Plaza de Concorde, cackling away, making art. He didn't seem to mind for now that they'd gone.

"Maybe I should call my Lucky Charm straight away", Ladybug said. "I know that gives us a time limit, but we need a strategy and I'm all out of other ideas."

"I agree", Chat said. He reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "I'll keep him busy if you have to recharge again." She smiled back, and touched the hand that was on her shoulder. They trusted each other, all the way down. It was a feeling she had with no-one else, and one she'd come to treasure even more since almost losing it.

They took a few steps back into the service bay so as not to draw attention, and Ladybug tossed her yoyo in the air. "Lucky Charm!"

A glowing white lotus flower fell into her hands, red-and-black leaves cupping its base.

They both looked at it, then up at the building they stood next to, and said at the same moment "Water lilies!"

Ladybug looked around her, and a plan came together. She tilted her head, smiling at Chat. "OK, I have a plan. But you're not going to like it."

She told him.

He trusted her completely, and he knew it would work. But she was right. He didn't like it.

* * *

Master Work hmmed to himself as he looked around for his next potential canvas.

His eye was caught by something. A single lotus flower floated on the muddy waters of the Seine, glowing in the sunlight.

"Of course!" he murmured to himself. "Instead of a pond, a river. Monet's great works on an even larger scale!" He moved down to the river's edge to get a better view of his next piece.

The lotus twitched. And then, as he watched in awe, it rose upwards. Out of the water like a goddess came a girl with raven hair dripping around her, one arm draped across her skin-tight suit as if protecting her modesty, the other cupping the lotus against her chest. A single beam of sunlight fell through the clouds onto the water streaming off her, as if she'd been newly created in that very moment.

"Birth of Venus!" he mumbled, almost too stunned to speak. He took another step forward, and then another, toes hovering just on the edge of the embankment.

His Venus stepped forward too, delicate foot reaching out a tiny step, landing just on the surface of the water.

And then another step.

She walked across the water towards him. Enraptured and in that moment unhearing of Hawkmoth's call, he stepped forward again to meet her.

But there was no embankment left for him to walk on.

The water dragged at his robes as he splashed, and a small piece of paper floated out. Ladybug dropped into the water and grabbed it as Chat Noir resurfaced gasping for breath. The two of them swam for the edge and held on there, panting. The soggy paper tore easily, and the akuma fluttered out. A swish, a fingertip drawn across an edge, and a tiny white butterfly flew away.

"Do you think we should scoop him out of the water?" Ladybug asked.

"Those girls in the Renoir skiff have got him", Chat replied.

"Where'd he get a skiff from?"

Chat looked more closely. "Looks like it used to be a skateboard", he said judiciously. "He left the wheels on it."

They both began to laugh. They kept laughing as they hauled themselves out of the water and fell in a heap together on the plaza stones. "Thank you, Chat" Ladybug said finally.

"What for, my Lady?"

"For trusting in my plan", she said, grabbing his hand and holding it. "You were the one who made that work. You lifted me up, held my feet as I walked, all underwater." She raised their hands, still joined. "And I know cats hate water".

His breathing had been almost back to normal finally after holding his breath so long, but the touch of her hand in his was threatening to steal all his air away again. To hide it, he let go of her hand and fiddled with his boot as if it had come loose in the water. Carefully not looking at her, he said "I do trust you. You know that."

"Yes, I do. It's in your eyes." Her earrings beeped. She leaned forward and put one hand under his chin, tilting it up so that their eyes met. "I had to keep my eyes on Master Work so I couldn't see if your hand would always be under my foot. But I knew it would be. Because I trust you too."

She'd said the word trust. He knew she had. His ears had heard it clearly. But the look in her eyes made his heart certain she'd been saying "love". He smiled, stood, offered her a hand up. When she was standing, he dropped again to one foot and held out his linked hands.

"Straight toss, Lady Liberty?" he murmured, glancing his eyes at the lotus she still held against her.

She smiled, put one foot in his hands. As she leapt, he stood and tossed her straight up in one motion. At the top of her flight she threw the lotus as high as she could, calling "Miraculous Ladybug!".

The glowing flower flew high above them from her outstretched hand, radiating out first a golden light that touched and softened everything, then a wash of pink with silver and red ladybugs that swarmed out across the Plaza de Concorde and the Tuilleries, restoring everything and everyone.

"Pwned it!" they said together, bumping fists. Her earrings beeped again, and with an apologetic look, she ran. Chat Noir smiled and sauntered in the opposite direction, tail with a mind of its own.

* * *

 _A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, I love reading them! I reply directly to any that I can. Sorry about posting just a note in the last chapter - I uploaded the chapter Thorn, then when I came back to the site ten hours later the story wasn't showing as updated and very few people had looked at that chapter. I wasn't even sure email notifications had gone out! So I posted the note in the hopes that you'd all get to see the update. If you've arrived straight at this chapter and missed Thorn, you might want to go back and read it. While the chapters are all standalones, they're also connected just a little._

 _As with the rest of this story, this is written, edited and posted a bit roughly and quickly. Feel free to leave comments if there's something gone awry! Or if there's something you love, of course._


	8. Chrysanthemum

_After spring, summer; and after summer, autumn. In China, the most famous flower of Autumn is the chrysanthemum. Its long flowering symbolises a long and happy life._

It was a perfect autumn night. Warm enough to be outside in but not hot, with just the tiniest of breezes for freshness. Marinette watered the last of her plants, touching the closed flowers gently. "Sleep, little ones, til morning" she murmured under her breath. Nearby, Tikki snoozed under a green leaf, comfortable in the clear and pleasant night. Marinette put the watering can away, then slipped back into her room. "I'm going to bed now", she called to her parents. There was an answering mumble from below. It sounded like her dad might already be half asleep on the couch.

Good.

She picked up the bundle she'd prepared earlier, slipped back up through the trapdoor and poked Tikki. "Ready?" she smiled. The little kwami yawned and stretched. "Whenever you are. Did you pack me a cookie?"

"I did". She looked at the flowers, contemplating for a moment, then picked one of the sleeping chrysanthemums and carefully tucked it into the top of the bundle. "Tikki, spots on!"

Not so far away, Adrien rustled through his closet. "I know I put it in here, Plagg". The small black kwami floated indolently on thin air, contemplating the piece of cheese he held in one hand, and said nothing. The kid would work out what he'd done with it eventually.

"I'm going to be late!"

Still not worth saying anything. Plagg stretched his mouth around the cheese.

"Ah-ha!" Adrien re-emerged from the piles of gear – whyever did he have so much stuff, anyway? - with a bunch of flowers in one hand. They looked a little wilted in Plagg's opinion. Adrien pursed his lips, and didn't disagree. Eventually he shrugged and pulled out one chrysanthemum that seemed to have survived well enough. "It needs to be perfect", he said, "but one single perfect stem is better than a bunch of just all right." He grinned at the kwami. "That's everything", he said. "Claws out!"

The two superheroes met on the Eiffel Tower, on the perch they'd come to claim as "theirs". Ladybug arrived first by a mere minute, and was setting out a blanket across the wide iron beam when Chat vaulted in. Together, wordlessly, they pulled the edges of the blanket into place, and sat down. Their legs dangled as they watched the horizon.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet", Chat said finally. "I... I know we're not sharing anything about ourselves, but... I thought it would be nice if we could actually talk about anything other than whoever we're fighting." _Including when we're fighting with each other_ , they both knew he meant.

Ladybug sighed. "I wish I _could_ share about myself with you. You're my best friend." Chat smiled. It wasn't so long ago that he'd have felt hurt by those words, wanting more than to be relegated away. But... now he could hear the extra words inside her voice. Friend was still the best word for what they were. But it didn't even barely touch the borders of the country they found themselves in. "You're my best friend too", he replied. "We don't have to know the small stuff to know that."

"But the small stuff is important", she said, turning those lively blue eyes to him. "It's all the things that weave our lives into place."

"Are you offering?" he said with an amused glint. She gave him a wry half-smile and a gentle shoulder bump. "No".

There was a minute of silence. Just enjoying each other's company, a rare moment that they didn't have to be focused on their long battle.

"How long do you think this will take?" Chat said, voicing the thought on both their minds.

"I've no idea, honestly", Ladybug replied. "We have no idea who Hawkmoth is, no way to reach him. No leads." They lapsed back into silence, watching the city.

At the same moment they said "I have something for you", then looked at each other and laughed. Turning away, they each picked up something from their bag, then turned back.

Each of them held out a chrysanthemum to the other. They both looked down at the flowers, and back up at each other, and burst out laughing again.

"A chrysanthemum for all the time we've spent fighting together", Ladybug said.

"A chrysanthemum for all the time it might take in the future", Chat Noir replied.

"A long and happy life", they chorused. And smiled at each other.

"That sounds nice", Chat purred happily. "I'd like to spend a long time knowing you". Ladybug booped him lightly on the nose. "Me too, kitty", she said.

She looked into his eyes. "When this is over, I'd like it if we did share our identities. I'd love to know who the flirty, outrageously brave cat is behind the mask."

He gave her his best "hero of the city" look, flexing an arm. "Moi? I'm just a humble – but very beautiful – guy who looks grrrrreat in black leather". She giggled. He dropped the pose. "I'd like that too, my Lady". He reached out his other hand to her face. "I don't know who the girl behind the mask is, but I think she's amazing and the most creatively talented person I know. I'd be delighted to meet her in person."

"You'll be disappointed" she said, out of habit. His hand lifted her chin so that their gazes met, and his eyes answered _Never_. She believed him.

There was just one problem. She sighed, pulling away, and looked back out at the lights again. He did much the same. They sat there for several breaths.

"But until that time comes"... they both said simultaneously, then stopped.

"You first".

"No, you".

"There's a boy at school..." Ladybug said hesitantly. At almost the same moment Chat Noir said "There's a girl at school...".

They looked at each other, startled. Ladybug broke the moment first. "I've liked him for a long time, and I don't know if anything's going to come of it, but I'd like to see if we can actually get along. Lately we've managed to have a few conversations, and I think we might."

Chat Noir smiled. "I was going to say something similar. The girl I know isn't someone I know well, we've only been friends a short time. But I would like to get to know her a little bit better." He sighed again. "I don't want to lose any chance I have with you though."

"And I don't want to make anything more of what we have until we know who's under the masks", she replied sadly.

"I know", he said softly. Then he smiled. "I have an idea. There's a thing in the stock market called an option. You take out an option when you think you might want to buy shares in the future but you don't know if you're going to or not." He flashed her his goofy grin. "Milady, I'd like to take an option on you. And if you'll take one on me, that makes us even."

She tilted her head, considering. "So... you're saying we see how things work out in our civilian life with our respective possible crushes, but don't make anything serious or permanent until Hawkmoth is defeated and we have a chance to reveal."

"Pretty much. I mean, I wouldn't be getting into any big relationship before then anyway..." He fell silent. So did she. It was a valid point. So far, they'd been lucky and nobody had truly been hurt. They had no guarantee that things would stay that way.

"I like the idea", she said finally. "Before either of us makes any big decisions, we give the other first chance."

They smiled at each other, and held out their chrysanthemums again.

"I take an option on you, my Lady".

"I take an option on you, mon Chaton".

Their fingers exchanged the flowers and tangled with each other for just a moment. Then they let go and simply sat together looking at the view, flowers held loosely in their laps.


	9. Thanks, and a Bonus Cup Of Tea

_A/N: And that's the end of my 5+1 story! Orchid, peony, plum blossom, lotus and chrysanthemum. Five flowers and a thorny interlude – plus a bonus interlude because Plagg's reaction to the narcissus made me laugh too much to not share it with you. I honestly didn't expect this little get-rid-of-writer's-block story to be so popular. I thought I'd be writing a chapter every few weeks, but you all loved it so much I kept right on going! Thank you so much to everyone who followed, favourited and especially reviewed – I loved seeing all your responses (by all means, share more after this) and I tried to reply to all those I could. I'm sorry if I missed anyone! Now, go enjoy one final bonus flower from me – a nice camellia, or more specifically, a cup of tea ;-) Please remember: I do not own Miraculous or any of the characters, and I've only seen season 1 so anything beyond that is pure speculation on my part :-)_

* * *

Sabine set two cups of tea carefully on the table. She dropped a dried jasmine flower on top of each. As the flowers absorbed the water, their fragrance drifted gently into the room. Jasmine, for releasing deep emotions and hidden feelings. With camellia, or specifically, the dried leaves of _Camellia sinensis_ , the tea bush. And in Sabine's experience, talking things out over a cup of tea often did wonders. Her phone chimed in her pocket with an incoming message. Without looking at it, she gave the table a quick once-over, pulled a note out of her pocket and left it between the cups, then nodded to herself and left the room.

Less than a minute later, a grey limo pulled up outside. The driver got out, opened the car door. A sixteen-year-old boy with blonde hair and long legs got out, looking puzzled. "I thought the shoot was at the park?" he said.

His bodyguard shrugged. "It's here", he said, gesturing to the door Sabine had exited only a minute before.

Adrien shrugged back. "OK. Hey, Mari, you ready to see how one of our photoshoots runs?"

"I was born ready!" A girl his age climbed out of the car, almost tripping when her foot caught in a seatbelt. The chauffeur caught her, steadying her upright. She reshuffled the notebook and sketchbook in her arms, and the two of them went inside.

Sabine reappeared out of nowhere and locked the door behind them, then leaned her back against it. "Good to see you again, Guillarme" she said.

There was a yell of surprise from inside.

The chauffeur closed the car door, smiled at her. "Good to see you too". He walked up to the door and leant on it with her. "No offence, but I might be better at holding it in place than you are. Do you need to check the windows?"

There was another yell from inside. Something about "MOTHER! WHAT DO YOU MEAN TALK IT OUT!" The door rattled as someone pushed on it, then thumped on it harder. Around the side, a window squeaked in protest.

She grinned back at him. "Done. They're nailed in."

Two kwamis phased through the wall, grinning. "Guillarme!" Plagg said, nuzzling up to the older man's cheek. Guillarme patted him affectionately. "Hope the boy's treating you well", he said.

"He is", Plagg replied. "Though I appreciate very much you making sure there's a stash of cheese in the car."

"Well, I seem to recall never quite planning well enough on that when I was a teenager", the older man laughed. "Adrien's more conscientious than I ever was – with a much better allowance – but he's still only sixteen."

There was some more thumping and yelling from inside. Sabine pulled a bakery box out of her shoulder bag. "Anyone want a macaron while we wait? If your boy's as stubborn as my girl, this could take a while."

"Yes please, Sabine!" Tikki swooped straight down to the box. "Mmmm. Sugar!"

Guillarme helped himself to three, biting into all three simultaneously while Plagg pulled a face. "How did I ever get such a sweet-tooth as my Chosen?" he said in mock disgust. In response, Guillarme just exaggerated his chewing and apparent delight.

The thumping inside seemed to have stopped. Sabine could just make out the sound of a teacup on a saucer. She smiled. Maybe these two were _finally_ talking to each other. _About time._ By the looks of it, Guillarme was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Do you ever miss it?" she said to him quietly.

"Sometimes", he said honestly. "Racing through the night, saving people, feeling like you're on top of the world." He sighed. "It'd be nice to feel that again. But I don't miss the rest." Sabine knew he was talking about the injuries. She'd patched him up often enough in her time working for Master Fu. She also knew he was lying about not missing anything – or anyone – else.

They both looked off into the distance, remembering a lady they'd lost. Plagg burrowed into his former Chosen's hair, reassuring.

"Still", he shrugged. "It's good to be here. Helping. Completes the circle."

Sabine nodded.

They settled in to wait.


End file.
